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InspirationGraphic Design

Paul Belford's fresh identity for Thai restaurant group Busaba takes inspiration from Buddhist philosophy

London design agency Paul Belford is behind the fresh identity for Busaba, a Thai restaurant group that is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

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Busaba restaurant signage mounted on a white tiled wall, featuring a burgundy flower logo and orange panel beneath the white box sign

With a brief to "re-energise the brand while celebrating its past", the new identity had to be "rich in meaning", reflecting Busaba’s founding Buddhist philosophy. And it had to feel confident.

The updated logo represents a flower, alluding to the fact that Busaba can mean 'flower' in Thai. It also references the shape of the gerbera flowers that greet guests in every restaurant. In Buddhist teaching, these symbolise impermanence and serve as a reminder to live in the present moment.

The petals of the flower logo are heart-shaped, drawing on two of the essential philosophies that inform Busaba’s culture: 'Sookjai' and 'Namjai'. The former meaning 'happy heart' has similarities to the Western idea of mindfulness. The latter, 'Namjai' – or 'water of the heart' – encourages taking pleasure in acts of hospitality.

Alongside a new colour palette, Paul Belford introduced a library of patterns that draw inspiration from Busaba’s range of vibrant sauces, visualising the harmonious mix of flavours in Thai cuisine. These feature excerpts from bespoke marbled papers, produced by artist Rachel Maiden.

The new identity includes extensive brand guidelines, as well as a suite of menus and a team uniform. Discover more at www.paulbelford.com.

Busaba's updated logo featuring a dark burgundy flower with heart-shaped petals on a cream background, displayed on a tablet screen alongside brand guidelines text
Brand guidelines page for Busaba showing three variations of the updated floral logo in different sizes and configurations with the restaurant name
Busaba brand guidelines showing a core colour palette of six squares in deep burgundy, cream, olive, bright orange, golden yellow and sage green
Hand holding a sheet of marbled paper with flowing yellow, green and red patterns, part of the Busaba brand identity design by Paul Belford
Busaba restaurant menu pages featuring vibrant yellow patterned artwork inspired by Thai sauces, designed by Paul Belford's studio
Busaba restaurant branded materials including a menu for bowls with green and red marbled pattern, and a desserts menu with orange and red marbled pattern, both featuring the flower logo and typography on grey background
Burgundy folder with die-cut flower detail revealing golden light beneath, part of Busaba's rebranded identity by Paul Belford
Black Busaba t-shirts displaying the front with a small white flower logo and back with text branding
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